I Wanna Be Bad Like You
by theunstoppable
Summary: Three days after the recapture of the Black Pearl, Jack Sparrow discovers that there is a female stowaway aboard who wants to be like him. When he leaves her in Tortuga by accident for 7 years, she comes back to haunt him, and take over what he has claim
1. A New Baby Bird

**I WANNA BE BAD LIKE YOU:**

A PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN STORY

(Note: I do not own all of the characters in this story)

**Chapter 1**

**A New Baby Bird**

The night broke into day, and the clouds darkened.  The sky filled with lightning and wind, the waters of the ocean becoming more treacherous as the day passed on.  Through the dark storm clouds sailed a great ship, set with dark brown timber, and finished with creepy black sails.  Onboard people scattered themselves around the deck, trying desperately to keep the sails upright, and the ship sailing in the correct direction without it overturning.

Many of them wore baggy clothing and piles of jewellery, but one in particular that was standing at the ship's wheel stood out the most.  He was reasonably young, with a moustache, a short plaited beard, long black dreaded and plaited hair and beads hanging down from the red scarf wrapped tightly around his forehead.  His dark brown eyes peered out over the deck, holding onto the wheel as tightly as he could.

One of the other crew members, by the name of Gibbs approached him, the hard rain battering down on him.

"We must have bad luck, Capt'n!" He yelled through the storm.

"Don't see any reason why actually!" The captain yelled back quite calmly.

"But Capt'n Jack Sparrow hasn't had this much bad fortune in twelve months!" 

Jack frowned, suddenly understanding what he meant.

"Yes, you're right!" He barked back, stepping back and holding the wheel with one hand, "Listen mate, take over! I have a hunch that something might be cursing us!"

Gibbs nodded, and took Jack's place.

Jack looked around him, pulled his captain's hat down over his eyes and headed for the galley.  

He got inside and pulled off his hat, whipping it around himself to dry it off.  Continuing down the stairs he inspected the place, before turning and heading in the opposite direction.   All of a sudden there was a crack of thunder and a squeal that erupted from the corner of the galley.  Jack stopped and turned back slowly, now smiling boldly.  He crept along the floor, looking around himself carefully.

"I know you're in here" He said, as if talking to someone, "There's no use in hidin' from me"

There was no answer.  Jack slapped the hat back onto his head and got down on his hands and knees.  He peered under the table across at a young woman.  The girl didn't look up, as Jack sat there and stared at her.

"Luv, I know that you've sat yourself under the table there, so come out now and I won't shoot you, savvy?"

The girl looked up, tears in her eyes.  Jack got to his feet strangely, brushing himself off, even though he was soaked.

She crawled out and sat there looking up at him sadly.

"How did you know that I was here?" She asked rather fearlessly.

"Bad misfortune to have a woman on board" He replied, staring back down at her, "I don't suppose you heard some booming of waves and thunder out there, did ya?" He demanded sarcastically.

The girl wiped the tears from her eyes, and got to her feet too.  She was younger than Jack, but only by about five years or so, with long red wavy hair, emerald green eyes and she wore tattered pants and a shirt that were completely dry.

Jack looked her up and down, noting her obvious stature.

"Right, so, first question.  What the hell do you think you're doin' stowin' away with us, hmmm?"

The girl took a deep nervous breath, and began fiddling with her sleeve.

"Well, all I wanted was… You see I wanted to see if I could… become a pirate"

Jack's smiled turned into a sharp laugh.  The girl looked toward the floor miserably.  He glanced up toward the top of the galley steps hoping to see one of the crew standing there, listening, but there was no one.  Jack stopped laughing immediately and straightened himself up.

"What's your name, luv?" 

"It's Miranda … Miranda Sparrow"

"Excuse me?" Jack snapped.

"Miranda Sparrow?"

"No, no… I heard that.  I'm Captain Jack Sparrow.  You can't be a Sparrow, savvy?"

Miranda looked at him oddly.

"No, yes I can, cause that's my name"

Jack scratched his chin, and glared at her.  He looked her over once more.

"Right! You must be like a indistinct relative!"

"Yes!" Miranda cried happily.

"But that doesn' mean that I can't still kill you" He replied, pulling out his pistol and pointing it at her.

She backed away from him to the corner of the room.

"Jack… Jack… Yes, I've heard of you before! But you're not my relative, far from it"

"Good.  I'm going to kill you now, just to let you know"  
"Wait! You said you _wouldn't_!"

"Luv, I'm a pirate! Cut me some slack!"

Miranda looked behind her, where on the wall was a rack with long thin swords were hanging. 

She spun on her heel and snatched one of them up by the hilt, spun it around and whacked the pistol out of Jack's hand.  The gun went flying and hit the wall next to them with a loud bang, Jack ducked and noticed Miranda standing there, pointing the tip of the sword at his throat.

"Call yourself a pirate!?"

Jack smiled and pushed the blade away from him with his finger.

"I see your… point"

Miranda nodded quickly and cheekily in agreement.

"Make me a pirate!"

Jack ignored his pistol on the floor, and leapt at the rack of swords on the wall behind her, but she put out her own sword to stop him.

He glared at the blade in his face, and strolled backwards.

"You're a woman!"

"You're a scallywag!"  
Jack grinned, leaning down and picking up his gun.  She continued to point the sword at him, but he put his pistol back into his belt.

Miranda lowered the sword and looked at him genuinely. 

"So you're not going to kill me?"

"I wish, luv" Jack smirked evilly, rubbing his chin and thinking.

"So what are you going to do with me then?"

"Well, there's mutiny, then there's hangin', then feedin' you to the sharks, then working you until you come to realize that you are not a pirate and never will, savvy?"

Miranda looked down at her sword.  Jack reached out carefully and to take it from her, watching her movements.  Miranda slammed the sword down into the wooden floor, just at Jack's feet.  He took his hand away carefully, and stepped back.

"Fine, maybe I never will be a pirate, but you have to take me back to the closest shoreline, if you're not going to harm me of course"

Jack pondered on that for a minute, as one of the crew came down from outside.

"Capt'n the storm, why it's stopped!"

Jack stared at Miranda as she stared back, almost ignoring what the man had said.

"I swear, if you choose to train me as a pirate that I will follow your every desire, Captain Sparrow, sir!"

Jack still grinned.

"That's a woman!!" The man yelped, pointing at Miranda.

"No.  That's my new apprentice" Jack smirked, and the brutish pirate stared at his captain in shock.


	2. Marking Her Territory

**Chapter 2**

**Marking Her Territory**

It was early morning and the waters were clear and calm.  Across the deck of the Black Pearl, Miranda came running and headed down the stairs into the galley.  She spotted Jack at one of the benches, leaning against the wall, asleep.  Miranda came over and grabbed his sleeve.

"Come on Jack! Wake up! Come on! You're lazy!"

Jack's eyes opened slowly, his nose turned up and he shoved Miranda away from him.

"Git away! A man needs his forty winks!"

"But you promised that you would teach me how to swordfight today!"

Jack opened one eye and lifted his head to look at her.

"I lied," He snuffed, before dropping his head and closing his eyes once more.

"Fine.  I'll do it myself." She explained, leaning over and taking two swords from the rack.

She examined them and gazed down at Jack, a cheeky grin on her face.  Turning and leaving, with a sword in each hand, she trudged up the steps, occasionally looking back to see if Jack was watching.

There was a dead silence.  Jack took a calm, deep breath when there was a very loud 'THUD' from the deck.  He leapt up and pulled himself upstairs to find Miranda standing there staring up at a black sail that was falling on top of her.  Jack came over, yanked the sword out of the wood of the mast, and checked the five ropes, originally wound tightly around it that had been chopped.  Miranda struggled her way out from underneath the giant black sheet, as some more of the crew now stood at the entrance to the stateroom.  Jack tossed the sword across the deck behind him and stormed over to her.

"BLOODY WOMAN! YOU'LL BE THE DEATH OF ME!" He barked, snatching the other sword from her hands.

Miranda smiled, and Jack looked at her oddly.

"What? Luv, you have to learn to be less… ungainly!"

"Whoever said I was ungainly? I got you up here didn't I?"

Jack cocked his head at what she just said.  She smiled, leaning forward and taking her sword back.  Jack grinned and cleared his throat.  He glanced up to see the crew standing there watching them.

"Well done pirate! You passed the examination! You managed to wake me up!"

Miranda nodded to total agreement.  The crew looked around each other, wondering what was going on.

Jack turned around and retrieved the sword on the floor behind him.  He pointed it at Miranda.

"Alright, pirate! Let's see how worthy you are!  Remember luv; don't bawl when you lose, like you did last time…"

"I never bawled" Miranda demanded out loud.

"Listen, don't make it harder for yourself, and I'll pass you as an endorsed member of the crew, savvy?" He whispered over to her.

Miranda nodded and raised her sword too.

"Understood Captain Sparrow, sir!"

Jack stepped back, and scratched his chin.

"I like that.  I certainly like the sound of that.  Coming from a woman" He explained, Miranda just glared at him, "I mean, because I'm not accustomed to having…"

He cleared his throat again, straightened himself out as if he said nothing and pointed the sword at her once more.

"If you really are the pirate you say you are then you'll want to see…"  Miranda started, and looked around herself, "…Look! Monkey!"

Jack jumped up and gazed around at the deck.

"Where!? Where!? A monkey!? How can there be a monkey out at…"

At that moment, Miranda took up the courage and smacked Jack in the head with the hilt of her sword, causing him to fall backwards to the deck.  She sighed and glanced up at the crew.

"Miranda Sparrow: One… Jack Sparrow: ZERO!"

She turned in circles, looking down at the destruction that she had caused earlier and smiling.

"Pilfering from those Rogues was a virtuoso plan!" Jack cried, rubbing his hands happily at the wheel of the Black Pearl.

"Don't you think that goin' back to Tortuga will make it worse, capt'n?" Gibbs explained, approaching him.

Jack laughed.

"Listen mate.  This 'ere is the Black Pearl! No man nor pirate dare threatnin' us, savvy?"

"As you wish, capt'n"

The Pearl sailed leisurely into the port at Tortuga, and as the plank came down, Jack waddled down onto the docks followed by his crew.

"Meet up with you in the mornin' mates.  Discharged!"

They split up and went their own ways.  Gibbs stayed by Jack's side, as they looked up the street into the dark town.

"Drink?" Jack asked, looking down at him.

They walked into the town, and Jack scratched his head.

"That's strange," He started, wondering why it was so quiet and empty, "I don' remember Tortuga bein' this boring"

It was so quiet that crickets could be heard chirping in the bushes.  Jack and Gibbs looked at each other.

"Maybe those rogues arrived here before us," Gibbs explained, Jack snuffed a laugh, "Maybe they've planned waylay for us.   You never know with a mob of rogues, sir"

Jack shook his head and tapped the pistol in his belt.

"We'll see then, won't we?"

Both of them came up to the pub and pushed the sliding doors to enter.  They were shocked to see only a few people seated around the tables and at the bar very quietly.  Jack cleared his throat and the people looked up.  There was no noise, but Jack and Gibbs stalked their way over to the bar.  Jack pulled out the stool with a loud squeak.  Not even wanting to realise what it was, Jack took his seat and faced the rear of the bar.  He looked at Gibbs and raised his eyebrows.  He took a deep breath and waved his hand at the bartender, as the bartender nodded back.  Jack leant over to Gibbs who had just sat down and whispered.

"Does it look like they're mad?" He asked and Gibbs glanced over the tables carefully.

"Not really" He replied and Jack nodded.

The bartender slammed the mug of alcohol down in front of him and walked away.  Jack glared at him before taking a large swig.  Another man entered the bar and sat down near him to order.  Jack leant over the man and held his hand over his mouth to whisper.

"Mate, what's goin' round?  Why is everyone so monotonous?"

The man glared back and looked him up and down as if he'd done something wrong.

"Because that'd be our code"

"Code? What do you mean code? I don' remember the pirate code to consist of such stony silence"

"Well it is now!"

Jack edged away from the man as he snapped.

"You're not mad at me are you?" Jack inquired, and the man shook his head quickly.

"What's goin' on?" Gibbs asked carefully, "What happened to the code?"

"Our Governor changed it"

"A Governor?" Jack uttered, squinting at the man, "Of Tortuga?  How long have we been at sea?"

Gibbs brushed his beard with his palm.

"I believe about seven years"

Jack's eyes widened.  He slammed his mug down onto the table, some of the alcohol spattering the man.  

"Seven years! Seven bloody years! No wonder that barrel of rum in the galley tasted amiss!"

"Who's Governor?" Gibbs continued.

"Sparrow"

Jack glared at the man intuitively.

"What!? How can that be!? I've been at sea for SEVEN BLOODY YEARS!.... Apparently!"

"Now Jack, I doubt he meant you"

Jack stared down at Gibbs angrily, but turned back, knowing that he was right.

"Who's this… Sparrow then?" Jack pushed. 

"Some Miranda woman"

Jack slapped his hands down on Gibbs and the man's shoulders at once.  He raised his finger and pointed it in the man's face.  Without saying a word, Jack left his seat and crept out of the bar nervously.  Gibbs ran after him and seized him by the back of his jacket.

"Jack! What's the trouble?"

He waved his hands in front of Gibbs angrily.

"MIRANDA!? MIRANDA SPARROW!?" He growled, "YOU DON' HAPPEN TO RECALL THAT WOMAN!?"

"Ahhh, yes.  That very gifted female pirate you taught"

Jack bit his fist, his eyes wide.

"Seven years ago I left for Staunton.  I may have made a very big howler by leavin' Miranda at the port… not grammatically, you know… physically?"

Gibbs stood there with his hands on his hips.

"Why I knew I had the feelin' we left somethin' behind!"  
Jack bit his fist harder and turned to look down the street.

"We cannot stay here! I don't want the Pearl to be plundered!"

He threw his hands aside to let Gibbs go.

"Not good! Not good! Go get the crew! We're departing!"

He stormed off back to the docks, and Gibbs ran down the street to find the others.

Jack waddled as fast as he could to the shoreline and gasped, grasping his chest in terror.

"THE PEARL!" He yelled, "THE PEARL IS GONE!"

He started making odd terrified gestured with his hands when he finally realised that no one was watching.  He ran to the very end of the pier and got down onto his hands and knees to look into the water.  He waved his hand in the water, hoping to find the ship there.  Brushing his forehead and getting up he turned to walk away, when something stopped him.  Running directly toward him in a terrible hurry was Miranda.

"JACK! JACK!"

Jack's eyes widened.  He turned around quickly, ran off the end of the pier and into the water with a loud splash.  Miranda skidded to a halt at the end, and watched as Jack's head popped to the surface of the water very slowly.

"Jack! It's me! Miranda!"

He glanced up at her, smiled and nodded, the water reaching his chin.

"I remember…" He said cautiously.

"Why'd you jump into that filthy water?  Are you afraid of _me_?"

He shook his head stupidly and swam to let himself out.  As he flopped up onto the shore, Miranda was there, her arms crossed at him.

"Now listen, luv.  I didn' intend to do it"

"Do what? Jump into the water?"

Jack approached her, now face to face.

"Are you tellin' me you don' remember… me…"

"What Jack?" She smiled happily, "Have something to tell me?"

He eyed her suspiciously.

"…No.  Not that I want to essentially… tell you"

Miranda brushed his sleeve innocently, and Jack stared at her.

"I think I know what this is" She began, and Jack pushed her hand away from his shoulder, "But, I don't honestly care"

"You don' care that I left you here…" He replied, gesturing to the town, "…Seven years ago?"

Miranda shook her head,

"By your onsies?"

"Nope," She snuffed, "But _that's_ not what I was speaking of…" 

Jack stepped backwards, his hands held out in front of him.  Miranda followed him, giving him the evil eye.

"Right, before you detain me to the gallows, Governor Sparrow… however that came about… just hear me out"

He pushed her out of the way, knowing that she was angry and stood on the dock, ready to jump back into the water.

"Where were you for seven whole years, JACK!?" She barked, as Jack tiered on his right leg, almost falling back into the water, before fixing himself up.

"We set sail for Staunton that mornin'.  You were still sleepin' luv!  I didn' want to wake you!  So when the crew was up for it, we… left… It was only 'bout … _now_ that I dredged what I'd done"

Jack smiled cheekily, hoping that somehow, Miranda would forgive him, but she shook her head differently.

"You remembered me _now_? …Well at least you remembered me" She sighed, and Jack stared at her oddly.

"_Now_. Seven years _later!_…" 

Miranda shrugged and Jack waved his hands.

"I guess I forgive you, pirate"

Jack smiled, very surprised and pleased at her final decision.  He clapped his hands together and rubbed them.

"So…Governor?" He chirped, "How'd it come about? What the heck is wrong with Tortuga?"  
"_I _as Governor of Tortuga altered the Pirate Code, permanently and respectively"

"To the nomad code?" Jack replied sarcastically.

"No, were still dirty pirates.  We no longer ruin this town.  Anyone not following this strict code is shot, hung and drowned"

Jack squirmed with the thought of his own fate and death.

"So you deal with the problems around here?"

Miranda nodded,

"Then just one question, luv… WHERE'S MY DAMN SHIP!"

"Oh yes, the Black Pearl…" She continued, now beginning to sound more and more sarcastic, "…That was _your_ ship?"

Jack held out his arms, finally going to hear some answers.

"YES! Where is it!?"

Miranda turned around and pointed across the bay at the humongous black ship, anchored at the very edge of the docks, against the rock scale cliff wall.

Jack's eyes darted over, and he bounded past Miranda and across the shore toward his ship.  Miranda just smiled cheerfully and followed at her own pace.  Jack ran out onto the dock and leant over the gap in the water and kissed the boat's hull.  

Gibbs and the rest of the crew came running up behind them both.

"Capt'n! I think I might've heard you yellin'! What's wrong!?"

"Is it _that_ quiet here?" Jack demanded, glaring at Miranda coming toward him.

"There's nothing wrong Mr. Gibbs, Jack was just frightened that I would kill him for leaving me here"

"Governor Sparrow! Terribly sorry bout' Jack.  I hope we have your total forgiveness on this matter"

Jack cocked his head curiously.  Gibbs and the rest of the crew scrambled over past Miranda to the spot behind Jack.  Jack wondered in silence for a second, his finger to his lips.  He stepped forward to Miranda and pointed past her to the town.

"I have another query.  How can a commune of a thousand or so pirates, dirty, smutty, mangy, traitorous, drunken pirates be utterly silenced by one woman with no kin or pirate upbringing whatsoever,… without question or remorse?"  
Miranda pushed his arm back down beside him and put her own arm around his shoulders to lead him back up the shore.

"Funny, Sparrow, how you believe my family never had piratish roots, because if you haven't happened to notice, my last name is Sparrow" She explained, stopping and turning to face him, "My father was James Silver, or to you… 'Stinky Silver'?"

Jack gasped and froze.  He pointed at Miranda in shock.

"Stinky?"  
"Twelve years ago, my father left the isle of Staunton as Captain James Silver.  My mother tried to locate him, but in order for that to never happen he stole the family name from one of his more competent friends.  CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW!"

Jack shoved his fist into his mouth and bit it hard.  Miranda went through her black felt jacket and pulled out a brown tanned piece of paper, ripped from another bigger piece.

"That was pinned up on a wall in town" She told him, and he unwrapped it and flattened it out to read.

He read it out loud.

"Captain Miranda Sparrow…… MOST DANGEROUS PIRATE IN THE SPANISH MAINE!? All must FOLLOW HER COMMAND!?  Failure to comply will result in immediate _execution_!?"  

He looked up finally, a sad look on his face.

"Why can't I be the most dangerous pirate in the Spanish Maine?! That was _my_ dream! YOU STOLE IT!"

"I never stole it, simply because you never had it in the first place!"

"But I was doin' my thing and everythin' was goin' accordin' to the plan!" He ordered, waving his hands about angrily.

He glimpsed at the piece of paper in his fingers and poked it into Miranda's face.

"Ah, just cause this poster says that you're precarious don't mean you actually are!"

Miranda smiled and grabbed his arm tightly.  She dragged him down into town followed eagerly by the other members of the crew.

"ALRIGHT! I GET THE POINT!" Jack screamed, standing at the gallows, his hands bound and a freshly tied hangman's noose around his neck, "…IT'S CAPTAIN, CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW, DAMN IT! GET IT RIGHT!" He finished, by yelling at the executioner reading a list of Jack's wrong doings.

Miranda stepped up to face him.  She unhooked the noose from around his neck, pulled his hands up to his chest and untied them, occasionally glancing into his eyes.

"Now, we could forget about you shouting at me, or I'll make the noose smaller so it's harder to breathe" She whispered, leaning in closer to him, "I'm sure that your crewmates would be grateful for that"

Jack gulped and nodded slightly.

"When did I ever doubt you, luv?"  
She threw the rope away and waved the executioner to leave.  She poked him hard in the chest.

"I could count a few times, but that would eliminate my reason for pardoning you"

Jack smiled and nodded.  He leapt backwards and drew his sword out to point at her.  She walked forward, much closer to the tip of the blade.  With her right hand, she pushed the sword down to aim into the floor.

"Your… Sword doesn't amaze me any more, Jack"

He looked around himself nervously, hoping that no one had heard that, but Mr. Gibbs and the others let out a chuckle.  Jack's sword flew back up, pointing directly at Miranda's nose, but she didn't budge.  Instead she reached around and drew her own sword out of her belt, slamming Jack's blade away from her and circling him.

"I must enlighten you.  I've improved Jack!  They don't label me the most dangerous pirate just because I can sentence a man to the gallows!"    
"Fine weapon though!" Jack claimed, now circling her.

"Thank you! I had it made prioritised by a blacksmith in Port Royal! Very fine boy he was!"

"Ah! So you met Will then!? That was…"

"William Turner! Very fine to be sure!" She butt in.

Jack darted forward, Miranda's sword blocking his blows to the left and right side of her neck.  Miranda spun on her heel, ducking a swipe to her head again, jumping to the ground and disappearing under the gallows platform.  Jack peered down around himself at the slits in the boarding of the platform.  He stepped backwards, the crew at the edge watched, still very anxious.

There were a few minutes of silence.  He held out his arms, and flicked his sword triumphantly, smiling away.  Without warning, a sword tip was poked up through the boards between Jack's legs.  He looked down and leapt out of its way.  He tried hard to keep moving, looking as if he was dancing, as Miranda continued to poke the sword up to get him.  Side to side Jack leapt, but Miranda, who was one step ahead of him, stopped him in his tracks, poking the sword up before the steps.  Jack looked around, and the sword fell below the platform again.  He crept backwards, to the trapdoor under the noose, without realising.  Miranda ran up from underneath, wielding her weapon.  Jack stopped when he hit the hangman's pole and glanced up to see it.  He spotted Miranda at the edge, her hand on the trapdoor leaver.  She yanked it back and Jack grabbed onto the noose rope as the trapdoor fell out below him.  He used all his might to hold onto his sword, and the rope at the same time.  Miranda swiped her sword before the rope and smiled at him.

"Admit it, Jack Sparrow! You're second greatest now!"

He looked difficultly up to her blade ready to cut his rope, then at Miranda herself.

"I don' mind second best" He replied, stretching his leg out to step back onto the safe platform.

Miranda took his sword and his hand to help him, and she replaced hers to her belt.  Jack took his weapon back and slipped it into his belt too, turning and looking down to see Mr. Gibbs coming up to meet them.

He slapped his hand down on Jack's shoulder.

"She's a woman, sir! How do you feel?"

"Really? Truthfully? I feel like a damn hoodwink!"

Miranda laughed and Jack eyed her, quite annoyed.


	3. What If You Woke Up Tomorrow And The Wor...

**Chapter 3**

**What If _You_ Woke Up Tomorrow And The World Had Ended?**

 Miranda had lead Jack down to her mansion, obviously followed by his first mate, and the others.  She had promised to let Jack stay there overnight as long as he would leave in the morning.

"But what if I _never_ come round?..." Jack said, eyeing her.

"Then I'll haul you out by your doo rag, mate!"

Miranda motioned to his bandanna, and Jack patted it down onto his forehead.

When they entered through the big oak doors, Miranda surprisingly seized Jack's hand and led him down the nearest hallway to a small door.  The room was quite dark and boring, with only one single oil lamp burning on the bedside table.  Jack glanced at her and she glanced back.

"You room, Captain Sparrow…"

He bowed slightly and strolled in to take a look around more.  Miranda came in guiltily and sat on his bed.  She took the pile of sheets sitting there and tossed them at the back of his head.  Jack turned on his heel and ripped his pistol out of his belt to point at her.

"Where's your rum?"

Miranda put her palm over the end of the gun and got up.  She walked over to a small cabinet above a writing desk and opened it to reveal several bottles there.

"Enough?"

Jack lowered his weapon.

"Perfect"  
Miranda nodded and stepped back into the hallway.

"Oh, but there's one single drawback…"  She turned around, leant in and slammed the door behind her.

She locked the door and flipped the key into her pocket.  Jack banged on the door, the handle rattling violently.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOIN'?! DON'T YOU ABANDON ME HERE! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!  MIRANDA!? LUV!?...... GOVERNOR MIRANDA!? WHY!? WHAT…WHAT…WHAT IF I NEED TO GO TO THE LOO!?"

"FIGURE IT OUT! YOU ARE A PIRATE! YOU DO IT EVERY OTHER OCCASION, I DON'T SEE THIS BEING ANY DIFFERENT!"

"NO, NO! YOU LET ME OUT! BE A _LOVELY_ GOVERNOR AND LET ME GO DAMN IT!"

"BY THE WAY IF YOU DIDN'T HAPPEN TO REALISE… THIS IS FOR DITCHING ME HERE SEVEN YEARS AGO!"

Miranda stormed off, and Jack continued to bash on the door.

There was a long, deadly silence, as Jack stopped what he was doing.  He listened carefully, hopefully finding that Miranda hadn't left him for good.  There was no sound, no hint that she was there.  Jack turned, made his way to the back wall, turned back and ran at the door.  With all his might he slammed the locked door with his shoulder.  Unsuccessfully, he hit it violently and stumbled backwards, landing flat on his back.  He groaned in pain and lifted his head to look at the door which had not budged an inch.  He groaned again and dropped his head slowly.  Jack lifted himself to his feet, massaging his shoulder that had made contact with the door.

He examined the room once more and his eyes darted over the copper wooden desk at the side.  He sat in the chair and leant down to rummage through the three drawers there.    The top drawer contained small pieces of tanned paper and an ink quill.  He thought for a second or two and seized a piece of paper and the quill.  He slammed the drawer shut and leaned on the table to write. He put pen to paper and paused.  He flicked the pen and sighed.

"I don' know how to bloody spell!" He whispered to himself.

Instead he wrote the only word that came to mind, 'SJS'.  He grinned at his snail trail letters and got up onto his feet.  He kneeled down before the door, and slid the paper underneath, the wind sucking it out of his hand.

He sat up and began to knock on the door.

"Save Jack's Soul! Save Jack's Soul!" He bellowed, attempting to sound eerie.

There was no noise, no answer.  He jumped up angrily and pressed his face to the door.

"THIS IS NOT AMUSING, MIRANDA! LUV, YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR! IF YOU DON'T LET ME OUT…" He stopped and looked around, "…THERE'S PRETTY MUCH NAUGHT I CAN DO ABOUT IT!"

Jack growled and ripped his captain's hat off his head along with his jacket and tossed them angrily at the far wall.

He scratched his chin and went over eagerly to the liquor cabinet.  The front flew open and he snatched two bottles, one in each hand. He threw himself onto the bed and stared up at the dark ceiling, pulling the cork out of his first bottle.

"May as well make myself cosy…"  He said, gulping down half the bottle in one taking. "Can't waste it…"

He took another swig and he fell backwards, his head hitting the wall with a very loud 'Thump'.

"Ouch! ……Aww well…"

That next morning, although it looked still dark enough to be night in Jack's small room, he awoke to find that he was in a pile on the wooden floor, surrounded by sheets and bottles.   He rubbed his face with his palm and groaned.

"Oh no… I did it again …Didn' I, luv?"

He glanced around, searching the sheets for another person.  When he found no one his eyes wandered.

"Oh…" He mumbled, looking down into his lap uneasily.

He tried to shake off the thought and scrambled, wobbling to his feet.  He jumped over to the door and started banging again.

"MIRANDA! MIRANDA! COME ON! YOU HAVE TO BE THERE NOW! PLEASE!? IT'S GLOOMY IN HERE, AND THERE'S A BIZARRE SMELL!... No…"

He stopped sniffing the air, "…That's me… BUT…BUT…MIRANDA!? I HAVE SOMETHING SOMEWHAT IMPERATIVE TO TELL YOU! I NEVER IMAGINED I'D HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS BUT… BUT… I CARE ABOUT YOU, LUV!"

His hand slipped onto the handle and it clicked open.  He pushed it open barely and stuck his head out.  He suddenly realised it was daylight and squinted to see.  Jack shoved the door all the way out and sneaked down the hallway.  Upon entering the vestibule he stood himself in the middle and held his hands to his mouth.

"MIRANDA! I'M RELIEVED THAT YOU SEE IT MY WAY! LUV!? YOU'RE NOT ANNOYED AT ME ARE YOU?!"

There was no one that answered and nobody came out to see.  He put his hands on his hips and waited.  He tapped his foot and sighed.  He could hear nothing.  Without thinking, Jack drew his pistol from his belt and shot down the chandelier just above the steps.  It fell to the wooden floor with a very loud crash, as the grubby glass shattered and rolled outwards. Jack smiled cheekily and replaced his gun to his belt.  He waited once more for attention, but to his surprise no one bothered to stop him or clean it up.

"Didn' care about that chandelier, aye?!" He yelled, looking around for someone to listen.

He stomped his foot and waved his hands about.

"Hey! Hey! I'm Captain Jack Sparrow! I'm going to pillage you now!"

Again once more there was only silence.  He stopped to think and scratched his chin.

"Funny. How long was I in that room for?"

He strolled backwards, heading for the doors, and ran around and down the street into town.  Skidding to a halt, he reached the buildings and alleyways.  It was eerily silent, as all that could be heard were Jack's footprints in the gravel on the ground.

"Gibbs? Mr. Cotton?...Mr. Cotton's Parrot? Anyone?"

He approached one of the taverns and peeked inside.  It was empty.  There was neither bartender nor anyone at all.

"Uh oh… Something terrible must've happened!" He snapped, the absence of all of his fellow alcoholics finally hitting him.

He stormed disappointedly over to a stool at the bar and plonked himself down.  He wiped his forehead and sighed, before leaning over on the bar top. The silence was shocking, and Jack couldn't take it for much longer.  He wiped his face with frustration and stomped out of the tavern from his seat.

Running onto the docks in a hurried frenzy, he skidded and fell to his hands and knees at the very edge.  He grabbed his chest in terror and struggled to look up.  The docks were absolutely empty.  Neither ship nor boat was tied up, both down and up the shore.

"No…It can't be…" He began, trying desperately to breathe, "…S'not possible."

He flicked his head from side to side, hoping to find and hull, oar, sail or mast but there was nothing.  No one seemed to have docked there for quite a while.

"The…Pearl! What happened?! Where'd they go?! This s'not good! Not good!"

The shore was so serene that for once the water could be heard lapping at the posts of the short docks.   Jack grabbed his head, like a pain shot through him and started up the beach on the right side of him.

"Pearl? Gibbs? Miranda? Pearl? Black Pearl, please, this is not a game!" He shouted, sounding awfully annoyed and terrified at the same time.

He stopped in his tracks and ran back the other way, up the other side, yelling the same things as he went.  There was still no sign of anyone of any of his acquaintances.  He ceased trying to catch attention and made his way back into town.

He fell awkwardly flat onto his back, in the middle of the street, and put his hand to his forehead.

"This is NOT happening… This is _NOT _happening! Save Jack's Soul! SAVE JACK'S SOUL! SOMEONE, PLEASE, ANYONE!? SAVE JACK'S SOUL, DAMMIT!"

He removed his hand and stared up into the clouds.

"What did I do to deserve this…? Oh no… Miranda… You didn't… Please, not you luv."

He sat up, brushing the dirt and dust off himself and standing upright.

He turned around, took a deep breath and,

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" He shrieked, the sound echoing around the cliff walls surrounding the town.

He ceased screaming and took a few deep breaths, before opening his mouth and screaming once more.  He gazed around after finishing, expecting to see people peering out of their windows, ready to curse and scold him for making so much noise.  To his disappointment once more, there was no answer.

He sighed and drooped his head.  He wiped his forehead and rubbed his eyes tiredly, looking around himself at the red dirt and gravel street.  He began to make his way back up to the mansion, when he stopped and turned to go into the tavern.  Something that was glinting in the sunlight, half buried in the dirt caught his eye.  He leant down and brushed the dirt away to reveal a silver balled necklace, with three skull and crossbones symbols hanging in the centre, parted by two silver spheres.  Jack pulled it out, and shook it off.  He examined the skulls carefully, taking them into memory, and pocketed it quickly.

"Mine now." He mumbled, "Take what you can…"

He stepped up into the tavern, and spotted the bottles set up behind the bar, "…GIVE NOTHING BACK!"

Without thinking, he ran over to them and seized one.  He yanked the cork out and tipped it into his mouth to find that it was completely empty.  He shook the bottle violently, his mouth wide open waiting for the liquid to come out, but it didn't.  He snatched up another bottle and another, again only to find them empty.  Out of total frustration he pushed all of the bottles set up on the shelves and the bar side to the floor, knowing that they too were empty.  Jack grabbed his head in rage, and rummaged through the cupboards and rooms in the entire tavern, still very angry to discover none at all.

He screamed in rage and pulled at his hair.

"Nine thousan', nine hundred and ninety nine thousan' bottles o' rum on the wall… an they're ALL BLOODY EMPTY!!"

He fell very unhappily into a heap on the floor, and shoved his head between his legs.

"This…no' good… This… no' good." He mumbled to himself, before snapping out of it and looking up anxiously.

He wiped his face with his white sleeve and slapped his hand down on the wooden floor boards beside him.  He bit his other index finger out of anger and frustration, before waving his hands above him and flopping backwards to the floor.

"This is no use, is what it is!" He cried, twitching his nose and yawning.

He seized the pistol from his belt, lying face up, and pointed it out in front of him, toward the doors and pulled the trigger.  The pistol blew a huge cavity in the door and let most of the light from outside to filter in.  He twirled the gun in the air, sort of triumphantly and dropped it to the floor beside him.  He took a deep outdrawn breath and closed his eyes.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.  We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot.  Drink up me 'earties yo ho. We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot. Drink up me 'earties yo ho. Yo ho yo ho a pirate's life for me. We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack. Drink up…"  He whispered serenely to himself, when something unexpected stopped him in the middle of his song.

Two men appeared from the shadows in the corner.  A large man wielding a noose and a thin man with an individual rope.  He stopped singing and listened carefully, hoping that the faint rustling he heard was a sign of others.

He shot up quickly and looked around, not bothering to look behind himself.  He scratched his chin and before he realised it, the men jumped him.  The first threw the noose over his head, and the second pulled his arms behind his back and tied them together.  Jack struggled and leapt to his feet.  The man tugged on the noose rope, and Jack froze immediately like a trained dog. 

"Well, well.  Jack Sparrow! What be wrong? Surprised to see us?" The first man said.

Jack's head remained still as the bulky man stepped forward.  His eyes darted to him, and a small, forced smile appeared on his lips.

"You were difficult to miss." He replied sarcastically, and the man drew his pistol, and pointed it at Jack's temple.

"WHY _YOU_ BE DONE BEFORE YOU SAY ANOTHER WORD!"

The thin man waved his hand for him to lower the weapon.

"We not be killin' him yet, Cooper.  Capt'n told us to bring 'im in."

Cooper nodded and smiled, replacing the gun to his belt.  He shoved Jack toward the door, and the man behind him whipped the rope to his neck for him to move.  Jack looked around calmly wondering what was going on.

"WALK! WHEN I FLICK THE DAMMIN ROPE ROUND YOUR NECK IT MEANS WALK!" The thin man bellowed and Jack started forward, not wanting any more trouble.

"What do you think the capt'n will do with this traitor, Reeves?"

"Somethin' torturous I hope" Reeves laughed back as both men and Jack were taken slowly out and down the gravel road.

Jack cleared his throat and looked over to Cooper.

"So, what's this ship you be takin' me to?"  He asked, hoping for an answer.

Cooper eyed him before answering.

"It be The Corsair.  Biggest and bestest ship in Tortugan shores."

Jack nodded, understanding but opened his mouth to continue.

"And the captain?"

Reeves motioned for Cooper not to talk and Jack tilted his head.

"So… Better than the Black Pearl is it?"

"The Black Pearl!? The Black Pearl!?" Cooper started, sounding like he was beginning a debate, "_That_ ship, compared to the size and speed of The Corsair be beyond equalness.  The only thing is that there really is _no_ difference in construct and rigging.  The Black Pearl was the first Corsair, so's meanin' that the Corsair be the Black Pearl's daughter."

"What!? _My_ ship!?" Jack barked, "It was remodelled!?"

Reeves tugged on the rope and Jack's head darted back.

"Never! _Your ship_ was the inspiration for The Great Corsair, but in our books, there be no such ship as The Black Pearl! Our lady, our ship be the queen of the ocean!"  Reeves stated, and Jack tried to keep his thoughts and anger to himself.

"The Black Pearl! Ha! How old!" Cooper laughed as Reeves followed.

Jack imitated then quietly as they shoved him harder down the street.  

The blazing sun hit Jack's face as himself and his captors strolled down the shoreline. Jack peered around himself, hoping to find a way of escape.  He looked up instead and saw it.  There at the docks where the Black Pearl was last, was a ship.  It was twice the size of the Pearl, dark brown timber, nine black and white sails and people on board the ship were scattered about the shrouds, bow, and crow's nest all over.  Jack gulped; Cooper and Reeves rubbed their hands happily before shoving Jack toward it.  The ramp slid down and a man stood there, waving his hands at them.

"Jack Sparrow! Finally we got you!" The man yelled.

As they came closer, Jack could see him clearly.  He was quite a handsome man, with a short clean shaven beard, scruffy dark brown hair and brown eyes.  In fact everything about him suited the ship.  He watched on as Cooper and Reeves led him up to the deck.  Slapping his hand down on his shoulder, Jack turned to look at him properly, even though he was more interested in the ship's technicalities and glanced around instead.

"I bet you are wondering what the heck is goin' round."

Jack finally looked at him and squinted.

"Well, waking up and discovering that all of the rum had disappeared was a insinuation to something wrong."

The man eyed him.  People working on the ship stopped and turned to watch.

"In some respects, you could say that you deserved it."

Jack nodded and smiled sarcastically before snapping out of it.

"So… Captain…?"

"Diego Longjohn… but I'm not the Captain."

Jack's eyes widened.  He laughed softly and looked Diego up and down.

"Longjohn?" He chuckled.

"Sparrow?" Diego replied, and Jack cut the smiling and laughing immediately.

Some of the crew members around him began laughing.  Diego smiled and looked Jack up and down just like he had done to him beforehand.  Jack cleared his throat and ignored the embarrassing part of the conversation.

"If you're not capt'n, then what are you, pirate?"

"First Mate, _Sparrow_." Diego explained, still emphasizing his name.

"…Well Parley, Mr. Diego!" Jack demanded, "Parley. Parley! Parley! Parley, I demand the act of Parley, savvy?"

Diego just stared at him.

"What did you think you were going to get, _Sparrow_?" 

The door to the stateroom flew open behind him, as many of the crew members rushed over to it.  Jack turned to look also and he saw Miranda step out wearing a large captain's hat with a purple feather, and her large black felt overcoat.

Cooper and Reeves scuttled over to her and saluted her.

"We've brought you Jack Sparrow, Captain Sparrow, maam!" Reeves stated, playing nervously with his sleeve.

"Well done!" Miranda replied, "It proved to he a tough capturing, but by the looks of things you seemed to have no problems what so ever."

Jack smiled and came toward her, face to face.

"Miranda! Luv! Make them let me go!"

Miranda brushed his cheek and smirked.

"You called for Parley, didn't you? I'm the Captain, Jack."

She ran her hands down his arms, and over his body.  Jack grinned harder and glanced at the others.

"What are you doin', luv?"

"Taking anything you have in your possession, Jack."

She seized his pistol and his compass, unbuckled his sword belt and handed them to Diego.  Jack's head watched back and forth as things were being taken from his pockets and handed to Diego.  Lastly, Miranda reached her hand into his pant pocket, much to the delight of Jack, and pulled out the skull necklace.

She examined it carefully as if she had found gold.

"This! This is mine! You stole it!" She demanded, shaking it in his face.

Jack's smile was wiped from his face and he glanced at it dangling from her fingers.

"Honestly, luv! I didn't steal it from you! I found it lyin' in the street…"

Diego sighed and shook his head disappointedly.

"You're still up to your old ways, _Sparrow_."

Jack watched Miranda as she clasped the necklace around her neck.  He then turned to Diego and shook his head.

".._What_?" He asked.

"You always think of yourself, don' you?"

"That's not true! How was I meant to know that it was Miranda's?"

"Because YOU GAVE IT TO ME!" Miranda barked, Jack jumped and turned back.

He cocked his head to look at her and think.  He glanced at the silver necklace a number of times, then back at Miranda herself.

"No I didn'"

"YES YOU DID! I specifically remember you handing it to me on that night following the drop by at Port Royal!"

Jack looked at Diego and shrugged.

"Who are you gonna believe?"

"My captain," Diego said, "You however are not an honest man, and nigh will be."

Miranda slapped Jack's shoulder violently and she seized him by his sleeve.

"Don't you remember what it signified? You told me that each skull represents the three rules of the Pirate's code," She began, poking the skulls one by one, "The right of Parley; take what you can, give nothing back; and any man who falls behind is left behind."

Still, Jack glared at her and the necklace, completely void of what she was trying to say.

"Terribly sorry, but, I haven' a clue what you're speakin' of."

She shook Jack away with his sleeve, rather annoyed at him behaviour.

"This is precisely the reason why you left me here seven years ago! You drink so much alcohol that it makes you fail to remember anything! Perhaps it will destroy your mind before it destroys _you_!"

Jack smiled and leant in.

"I doubt it, luv."

"And because you deceived me, even after you _guaranteed_ to watch over me as I trained to be a pirate, because you assumed that it would be alright to leave me sound asleep and you would return later, and because you were so deaf, dumb and blind to overlook me running and screaming just as _your_ ship departed Tortuga from docks that day, I have used the pirate code of my own to reprimand you.  Any man who betrays their Governor is left to die."

"And a fine job you did indeed, bearing in mind that here I am standing, listening to you, not dead."

Diego growled and grabbed Jack's shoulder.  Jack turned to look and was clout in the side of the face.  He fell to the deck, his hands still tied behind his back, flat onto his face.

"Sorry capt'n.  His condescendence was too much for me to handle."

Miranda frowned at him and kneeled down over Jack's body.  She untied his hands and rolled him over.  He was out cold.  She reached out and her fingers brushed his forehead, pushing the stray hair away from his face.  Nursing the red mark on his right cheek, she rubbed her skull necklace and leant down so her lips were skimming his cheek.

"But… no matter what you do or what you say, it doesn't worry me.  The only thing that worries me is what you are going to do to yourself, Jack."  She whispered, closing her eyes and kissing him there.

When she finished, she opened her eyes and looked at him.  There was a soft smile on Jack's lips.  Miranda stood up and nudged Jack's side with her foot.  

He opened his eyes slowly and stared at her.

"I knew it." He smiled.

Diego tapped Miranda's arm.

"What he be talkin' about?"

Miranda ignored him and stared at Jack lying on the deck.  There was a moment of silence as finally she glanced to Diego.

"Diego.  We set sail.  Find that island Jack talked about so long ago.  He may want to pay a visit."

Jack sat up as Diego saluted his captain quickly, turning and shouting orders to the crowd gathered around him.  Miranda stepped up to the ship's wheel ready to take control, and Jack heaved himself up off the deck and waddled to her side.

"So!" He said, rubbing his hands with glee, "We be goin' to Isla De Muerta!?"

Miranda smiled and chuckled.

"No, a sandbar much, much smaller than that dreaded place, but it _is_ close by, I'll give you that."

Jack placed his finger to his lips in thought.

"Closer? Closer? How many times have I visited this island?"

"Oh, I don't know.  But I'll tell you this as a clue.  I'm still sticking to my code, as a promise I made _five _years ago."

"Good for you, luv!"  Jack smiled, leaning against the railing and taking a deep breath.


	4. A Change Of Heart

**Chapter 4**

**A Change Of Heart**

Jack was sitting peacefully at the table in the stateroom, his legs up and sifting through pages of tanned paper with lots of writing on them then tossing them to the floor.  Diego, Reeves and Cooper appeared as the door flew open fiercely.  Jack let go of the papers and looked up.

"Come on, _Sparrow_."

"Come where, _Longjohn_?"

Diego smiled, and Jack cleared his throat out of embarrassment.

Cooper and Reeves came over and seized one of Jack's arms each, and lifted him out of the seat.  They dragged him outside, the darkness finally hit him and they shoved him to the edge and onto the plank, balancing over the water.

Miranda made her way through the group with a lantern in one hand and sword in the other.

"Well, we're here!" She explained, pointing the sword at his chest, "This is the island you spoke so much about when I was part of the Pearl's crew.  You said _you_ made up the ingenious plan to flee the island the last time you were left here."

Jack turned and squinted to see the island in the not too far distance.  It was quite small, white sand beaches, and a large forested area at the right side.

Jack looked back at Miranda quickly.

"No! Please no, not again!"

"What did I tell you, Jack!?  I'm sticking to the promise!  These people want to see you gone so I am granting them this one request"

"Please luv!" Jack pleaded, "Don' be a Barbossa!  I was only kiddin'! I didn' make up the plan to get off the island last! Will's lady Elizabeth did! She was there too!"

"There was a girl with you?" Miranda demanded.

"Yes, but we didn' do much.  She was too hardnosed! Honest! She even scorched all of the food and the rum… Uh oh… Now you certainly can't leave me there!"  
"It's not like a pirate such as yourself, _Sparrow_ to be pleading for his life.  Why bother when the people you are begging are pirates themselves?"  
"Indeed, Diego." Miranda replied, her sword edging closer and closer to Jack.

"You know, you're right.  But I wasn't speaking or begging to you at all Diego.  I was requesting Miranda for my life, for I know her, and something like that is undeniably not her forte."

Miranda glared at him and handed Jack his pistol, belt and compass.

"Yes, but Jack, that's the difference between me now, and me back then.  I would never do it back then, but right now is no exception."

The look on Jack's face seemed that he didn't really want to understand what he'd heard.

Miranda looked at her crew once more, eyed them as they motioned for her to continue what she set out to do.

Miranda shut her eyes hard, and opened them again.  She let out a small sigh, and mouthed some words to Jack.  She clicked her fingers and pointed at him; Diego stepped out in front and grabbed Jack to turn him facing out toward the island.

"If you manage once again, another miraculous escape, don't come searching for me, Jack.  It will not just hurt you alone."

There was no answer.  Diego drew his pistol and dug it into his back, as Jack raised his arms into the air.

"You can have one last say." Diego explained.

There was silence for a second once more.

"Listen Miranda.  I don't think you truly are aware of the reason for leaving you asleep that day.  Whenever _I _was sleepin' you would come and wake me up cause you were so ecstatic about bein' a pirate.  What you gotta realise is… I'm a pirate.  A filthy, malicious and traitorous pirate and mate! I didn't have the heart to wake you!  I really hope, luv, that you discover that reason, why… before it's too late."

Another moment of silence followed and it was very tense.  It seemed as if Miranda was in deep thought.  Diego took over angrily, and shoved the pistol into Jack's back, much harder.  Jack as a result, stumbled forwards to the very tip of the plank, wobbling and trying to retain his balance.  He looked back sadly and let himself fall into the water.  Miranda sighed with relief and watched as Jack swam toward the island in the moonlight.

"Goodbye, my dear Jack Sparrow." She murmured, and Diego stepped down from the plank.

"Good bloody riddance!" He laughed, and turned back to the edge, "I'M BIGGER AND BETTER THAN YOU, _SPARROW_!! AND I ALWAYS WILL BE!!"

He laughed and looked back.  Miranda eyed him strangely and looked him over curiously.  Cooper and Reeves began to chuckle to themselves.  She patted him on the arm stupidly and nodded.

"You wish, dear Diego, you wish…"

Diego blushed and pushed past her, heading to the cabin.  Miranda stopped smiling and went back to what Jack had said.  Cooper and Reeves, still laughing smuttily stepped beside their captain who was watching the sea and the island.

"Is he gone capt'n?"  Reeves asked, containing his laugh.

"……Alas, he is."

She turned around and waved her hand to the crew.

"We're departing, now."

The crew scrambled all over the ship, taking their posts.  Reeves wiped the tears of hilarity out of his eyes and became serious.

"Are you alright capt'n, maam? You seem concerned."

Miranda shook her head.

"No pirate.  I'm alright.  I achieved what I set out to do.  I can request nothing more."

She left them and headed to her own post at the wheel by herself.  Reeves saw something wrong with her.  Cooper on the other hand was still laughing, his hand over his mouth to muffle the sound.  Reeves glared at him and slapped him in the back of the head.

"Do you think she's upset?"

Cooper nursed his head, and smiled up at him.

"About the '_Longjohn'_?" He snorted, making rabbits ears.

"No!..." He also turned to look out to sea, "I can't picture our Governor behaving in such a way, but it's out of me hands..."

Cooper burst out laughing once more, and once more, Reeves hit him violently over the head.

"Oh, shuddup, you dirty ol' bastard!"

Completely ignoring the pain in his head, Cooper continued to laugh.  

"What do you imagine she meant by that 'You wish' line?..."  Cooper asked, trying desperately to stop laughing.

Reeves brushed his own hair back.

"I dunno…"

He shoved Cooper onto the deck, flat onto his side, but it still didn't stop him from cackling.  Instead Reeves headed up to be with his captain.

The waves crashed and boomed, and the lightning was streaking across the dark musty skies.  The Corsair sailed on through, the waves battering the tough exterior and splashing up on deck.  Much of the crew were out, holding their ground, and fighting against the rain, wind and water in order to make it back to Tortuga before the citizens returned home.   Miranda couldn't bare to be outside, and instead ordered Diego to navigate as she sorted through the tributes for the families and citizens that had agreed to leave the island for that day.

She sighed and took up her quill to finish signing another paper, when something caught her mind.  She paused and stared at the page.  Her eyes wandered the writing on the letter, and froze on two words.  Jack Sparrow.  A faint tear caught the corner of her eye, and she wiped it away, continuing to sign.  

At that moment, the door swung open and Diego, soaked to the bone, stepped in and took deep breaths as if gasping for air.

Miranda looked up from what she was doing, and put her quill down.

"Diego?"

"Capt'n," He began, puffing and panting, "This is getting outrageous.  Our men can't hold this much longer.  We have to find a nearby shoreline and stand for the night."

Miranda sighed, and stared at him.

"But we promised to be back by arrival time."

"I get the message, but you have to see that this is foolish."

Miranda rose from her seat and left the papers on her desk.  She paced back and forth behind her chair, her finger to her lips.  The lightning outside continued to flash and crack.  Obligated to do so, Diego waited for an answer.  She stopped and looked up at him.

"What would my father do… better yet, what would… Jack Sparrow do?"

"Capt'n, surely you can't compare Sparrow's competence to your own.  He is as inept as he always was." Diego replied stubbornly. 

"Listen, Diego.  I was on that Black Pearl for five entire years, with Jack as its Captain.  I think I know a bit or two about how he handles such situations."

Diego groaned murkily and shook his head.  Miranda battered the corner of her deck with her fist, trying to think of what to do.

"We don't have a lot of time.  I suggest we head to shore…"

"No!" Miranda snapped, and Diego moaned, "I want to remember something that he told me."

Diego stormed in and took Miranda's seat at her desk without her really noticing, to wait.  He tapped his fingers impatiently on the wood, hoping that it would make her hurry up.  Miranda leant down over the desk, her head drooped and her eyes closed.

"Damn it!" She bellowed, "I don't know what to do!"

Diego stopped tapping and looked up happily.

"Going to shore then?"

Before she could answer she opened her eyes and saw the skull necklace hanging down from around her neck.  She tugged it off and held it closer for a look.  There was a long silence, as Miranda's eyes wandered the skulls and the room.  Without warning she slapped her hand down on the desk, causing Diego to jump a little.  

"Oh my! I remember now!"

"Not about Sparrow, please…" Diego mumbled quietly so she couldn't hear.

"There was one other thing that he explained to me about the meaning of this.  Sure he told me that each skull represents the pirate code, but he ended by telling me that the one meaning for it entirely was…"

She paused to think again, and saw Diego listening intently.

"Was…?"

_"…A bond.  The tie between the Captain and his Student.  In other words, me and Jack.  He meant it that way all along and I never saw it. Now I understand what he was telling me about.  I understand.  I know the reason why.  I figured it out, Jack"_

"You what?"

Miranda smiled and put her necklace back around her neck.

"Diego, get back up there and turn this ship around, immediately!"

"YOU WHAT!?"

"You heard me, pirate! Turn around! We're going back to that island!"

"But Capt'n that's suicide! We'll sail directly back into the eye of the storm!" Diego cried, and Miranda glared at him seriously.

"Believe me Diego, it's worth every mile."

He got up angrily and took to the exit.  Before leaving the room, he turned and looked back.

"I don' see what bringin' that deserter back will do for any of us!"

"Who ever said it had anything to do with _you_?"

Diego stared at her, annoyed and frustrated.

"Give me a good reason why I should agree."

"If you wish to see it in a way that only you yourself can understand, I have stooped to Jack's level by deliberately stranding him on the island.  When I realised what he meant by the meaning of this necklace, when he left me on the island that day, asleep, he was only keeping to the promise that he had put down.  That is to look after one another.  By leaving him there and never coming back, there would be no reason for me to keep this necklace and the value attached to it."

"Just because Jack said such a thing to you, what? Ten years ago? It doesn't have to apply now.  What makes you think that you should keep that value?  Why not change it? It _is_ that simple, capt'n."  Diego replied.

Miranda shook her head, ending the conversation.

"Go Diego.  Take us back there before it's too late."

Reluctantly Diego turned to leave.  Miranda watched as he closed the door unhappily behind him.

She sat in her chair and smiled to herself about what she had just discovered.

Perched in the stairway to a small, dark and damp cellar surrounded by the white sands of the beach was Jack.  He snatched up a bottle, one after another and threw them across the sand outside.

"Empty…Empty…" He chanted as the bottles flew out of his hands.

He looked up at the new morning blazing sun shining down on him and wiped his forehead.  He brushed himself off and got up off the stairs.  He gazed out over the sand at all of the glass bottles lying there.  Taking a deep breath he shielded his face from the sun and took off down the beach to search the trees for coconuts.

"Miranda, Miranda, Miranda."  He mumbled, dragging his feet in the sand.

Out of sadness, he stopped where he was headed and sat where he was standing, overlooking the ocean.  It was the small long end of the island where the beach rises up over onto a high cliff.  The wind picked up and waves could be heard clearly, crashing against the rock face.

Jack shook his head and stared in silence out over the sea, his arms around his knees and leaning forward.  Instead, he gave up and lay back on the sand.  The moment he did so, the Corsair could be seen just on the horizon, sailing toward him.

Diego stormed out onto deck and perched the telescope to his eye, looking toward the island.  Miranda followed, looking rather angry and sad at the same time.  She shoved the telescope away from him and Diego glared at her.

"You know, Miranda.  I'm beginning to believe that you are the one that is incompetent!"

The crew around them gasped.  Miranda pointed at him.

"As your Governor I demand you cease this nonsense at once!"

"What? Me!? Me, nonsense?!  What about you!?  It was after all _your_ plan to come back here for Sparrow!  I'm not the one who has gone mad! It's _you_ Miranda!"

"Tell me, Diego!  Why is it that you hate Jack so?"

He built up his words and opened his mouth before speaking.

"Why? Why? Being confined on a ship with him for over five years has made your mind soft! You can't see the simple fact that Jack is a pirate, just like you and me!  He steals for a living, Miranda.  He makes his money off selling stolen goods, plundered from stray ships!  He shoots any man that dares defy the name of his own!  He never bathes!  He never says anything polite!  And lastly, he is always drunk!"

Miranda paused.

"How is that any different from the way that you live and act every day, Diego?  You're a pirate too, just the same as him.  You steal maybe more than he does.  You kill more people I'll bet.  You don't have a nice bone in your body and the last time I saw _you_ drunk, you couldn't even say my name without hiccuping and falling to the floor."

Now Diego paused to think.  She leant over him and looked him up and down.

"That's it then." He continued, "He's not worth the name of a pirate."

"Quite frankly, Diego.  When was the last time _you_ had a bath?"

Diego frowned and glanced around at the others.  He put his hand on her shoulder.

"I think I'm aware of your reason for actin' this way."  He explained, Miranda stared at him evilly, "You're a woman.  You don't understand what it means to be a pirate."

Miranda nodded in a sort of agreement, but pulled his hand off her angrily.

"Are you saying that I should be punished for having compassion and loyalty?"

Diego nodded and Miranda snatched the telescope from him.

"Then perhaps you should punish Jack as well, because unlike you, I know him better, and Jack is a good, compassionate and loyal man.  The oath on this necklace made me realise that."

He laughed at her comment.  Miranda took the telescope and peered through it over at the island.  Jack had finally seen the ship and was standing there waving his hands for them to see.  She smiled and looked behind her to Reeves and Cooper, who knew immediately what to do and went to lower one of the longboats.

"Oh, compassionate is he? Am I the only one who seems to recall when you explained to him about that necklace, he didn' seem to wan' to remember at all.  I don't see why he's loyal either, why, because he left you on your own when you had no place to go."

"You never listen to me, do you Diego?  I think that _you _are the one that doesn't deserve to be a pirate."

Diego laughed sarcastically.  He stepped away from her at a fair distance.

"Fine." He laughed, "Fine.  I suppose if my Governor doesn't seem to think that I am worthy, then so be it.  Let me tell you this.  When Sparrow begins his little game, don't come back beggin' me to be your leverage because I'll just say I told you so and leave it at that."

"Oh, I won't need to.  Believe me.  Compared to him you are a mere speck of sand on a beachside.  Even if such a thing did happen I would not come seeking for a toffee-nosed bastard such as you, Diego.  Now piss off and leave me alone." 

Both Miranda and Diego fell silent.  She shoved her way past him and ran up the steps to the ship's wheel.  Diego leant over the side rail and watched as the boat went out to collect Jack.

For the time being, the two of them eyed each other out, not saying another word, even though they knew they wanted to.

As she saw the boat on its way back, she ran happily down to the deck below.  Diego stopped her in her tracks.

"You know, I'm thinkin'?  About the Black Pearl.  What did you do with it?"

"Why should I tell _you_? You don't have the courage to steal Jack Sparrow's maiden ship."

"My pure hatred of him has countered that problem, Miranda.  Now where is it?"  He demanded.

"A few days ago I might have told you the answer.  But it's come to a point where that ship is important to me.  Because it is important to Jack."

Diego sighed angrily and seized her arm.  

"You are beginning to even _sound_ like that lunatic and it's disturbing me.  You have your great ship, The Corsair, and now that Sparrow is coming back there be no point in you keepin' the Black Pearl."

"Ahhhh, that's where you're wrong, Longjohn my dearly departed friend," She replied, smiling cheekily, "The Black Pearl alongside this could be the makings of our own fleet of pirate ships.  Jack's still the captain of the Pearl, and there is no way you are getting past me to obtain it."

Diego thought for a second and tossed Miranda aside.

"Isla De Muerta!  That's where it is, ain't it? It's the only place we know of that it would be safe!  You made a mistake Miranda!"

"You would be right Diego, but seeing as you don't have a ship to call your own, unless you flap your arms and fly away I don't see how else you are going to get there."

The crew that were listening went back to what they were doing, but still listened to what was being said.  Diego tapped his chin and quickly reached around and drew his pistol.  He aimed it at Miranda.

"Oh, I found a way."  He smiled.

Miranda knew that he wasn't kidding and looked around.  Neither of the other pirates were carrying pistols as her code had prevented this.  She held out her hands to beg him not to do it.

"This will get you no where, Diego.  You really think that stealing a ship with a crew of twenty-seven and their Governor as Captain they would tolerate it?"

Miranda was right.  Diego looked around him as many of the crew members leapt down from the shrouds and ran over to his side ready to fight.  Still, he pointed the gun at Miranda.  Two of the men jumped forward and seized his pistol and tossed it over his head into the water.  Diego struggled as four pirates held onto him tightly, not letting him escape.

"Let him, go." She ordered and they did as she wished.

Diego grinned, and strolled forwards.

"I don' care if you are the Governor of Tortuga, the only great pirate city in the Caribbean, and I don' care that you are the Captain of the largest and fastest _ship_ in the Caribbean.  You're still a woman, and being a pirate is not something that a woman is good at."

Jack stepped up and snagged Diego's sleeve.  He pulled him over to the railing edge and looked him up and down.

"Especially you!" Diego snapped, "You're the most incompetent _pirate_ in the Caribbean!"

Jack nodded, and scratched his chin. 

"Ahhh, you might be right," He began, "But there's something about _you_ that dishonours the name of pirate, and that's disloyalty mate.  I don' know how you can _name_ yourself a pirate when you can't even be dedicated to your fellow buccaneers."

"Well, well, a change of heart I see, _Sparrow_?"

"Unlike someone such as yourself who has the coldest one in history."

Diego smiled and laughed to shake off what he was saying.

"Now what are you going to do with me?" He chuckled.

Jack pondered on it and pointed to the side of Diego's face.

"Well, you have a… there's somethin' there, just there on your face…"

"Where?"  Diego gullibly said, turning his head to let him look.

"No, no, it's just ther…."

Jack reached out and whacked him in the side of the head with his fist, causing Diego to flop over the sideboard and into the water.  The crew and Miranda ran to look, and began laughing uncontrollably at him, especially Cooper.  Diego's head bobbed to the surface.  He was spluttering and splashing about.  He swam over and banged on the boat's hull.

"Ha, ha!" He yelled, "Very amusing! Now drop me a line!"

"There's some rum an' food on that island over there.  Why don' you go and have a peek?"

Diego stared up at Jack revengefully, and Jack leant over the railing glaring back happily.

"Get a hint, Diego!  We're mutinying you, you dickhead!  Now, be the man you are and go and get yourself hammered now that no one loves you, savvy?!"

The crew laughed once more, and without question, Diego turned and swam to the island. 

"He's gonna starve."  Jack stated and Miranda laughed.

He turned happily and glared at Cooper before turning his attention to Miranda.

"Alright, foremost question.  Why'd you return for me, luv?"  
Miranda came closer innocently, and brushed her hands down his arms.

"You already know the answer to that question."

"And that would be?"

She smiled and took hold of his hand.

"I know you know for one simple reason.  When I told you years ago about how my father was a fine pirate, I lied.  I didn't wish to tell you this, but my father was a sexist.  He may have taken me with him and attached to me the name of Sparrow, but it all began when I begged if I could be a pirate, just like him.  He repudiated me and always howled about how I was a woman and I was feeble and useless.  Eventually he had enough of my request and attempted to kill me.  In order to make it seem like a suicide, he pushed me off the cliff in Port Royal bay, that same day that the Black Pearl was there.  Fortunately I survived and swam to take refuge on your ship without your crew realising.

I never saw my mother again.  My father never cared for me.  When you let me in as an affiliate of your crew and told me that you'd look out for me, you were _at last_ the only person in my whole life that cared about me.  You cared about what I did and where I went.  You cared about how I felt.  Even when you seemed to want to toss me overboard, there was always something within you that made you recall your own code."

She stopped talking for a second, let go of his hand and pulled off the necklace.  She played with it and looked at him again.

"When you gave me this, my entire life changed.  What you told me proved the way I felt, and knew that for once someone fancied my company, pirate or not.  Whatever anyone tells me, whatever anyone thinks of you and what you do, I don't get concerned.

I don't believe them.  I don't care.  You are my hero, Jack Sparrow and nothing in the entire ocean can compare to my love for you."

Jack was slightly dumbstruck.  He smiled at her and took the necklace from her fingers.  He rubbed it softly and thought deeply for a moment.  Miranda waited for him to say something.  Cooper and Reeves, standing not too far from them were elbowing each other suspiciously and smiling.

"We know what she mean, aye?" Reeves mumbled to Cooper and Cooper nodded stupidly.

Jack dangled the necklace and reached over to put it back around her neck.  He brushed her face, his fingers running through her long, red hair.

"The amusin' thing is, you're right.  Equally, you've given more admiration to me than any man, nor woman ever, nor member on my crew.  You forgave me for one mistake after another, and it earned you my recommendation to be a real pirate like you always wanted.  I always knew that your father was a sexist.  He used to bag about your mother when we would make agreements to trade.  Sorry, I didn' tell you, luv, but I figured you didn' want to talk about it.  It was terrible what he did to you, but now you have me.  You have your crew, you have my crew to be there.  I hoped for years and years that this trinket's meanin' would finally make you see."

"It did."

"And why? Because you are a pirate.  You find the answers to things in the simplest of items, right down to a solitary piece of treasure.  Because that is the _real_ pirate's code.  To grasp the best out of life.  I'm proud that you finally discovered that.  I'm proud that you were once the greatest apprentice ever, who turned into a grand pirate.  The best thing is that you're mine now… forever."

Miranda smiled at him more that ever, and Jack swept his fingers over her lips.  He brushed her hair back, took the hat off her head, threw it to the floor and kissed her passionately.

Some of the crew began whistling and cheering.  Reeves and Cooper wiped the tears from their eyes and clapped their hands with glee.

"Diego wishes...!" Cooper cried, repeating what Miranda said, "Diego wishes to all hell now!"

Reeves laughed and turned to look out where Diego had swam to.  As a small figure walking up and down the beach, Diego could be seen.  Reeves waved Cooper over to watch.

Jack's hands fell to Miranda's waist and held her closer.  They looked at each other and smiled.

"Have you made your point yet?" Jack asked.

She nodded and played with his hair.  Without realising, he took hold of her pistol and put it into his own belt.  When Miranda stepped back she realised that it was gone, and spotted the two that he had.  She shook her head and smirked.

"You're still the master swindler!" She stated, as Jack handed her pistol back.

"That I am."

Reeves waddled over to her side and tapped her shoulder.

"Capt'n…"

Miranda raised her hand for him to stop.  She bent down to retrieve her hat, and pulled the feather out.  Jack watched her put the hat onto his head, take off the black coat she was wearing and put it around his shoulders.  He glared at her, and she saluted him.

"Capt'n Jack Sparrow, what say you?"  
Jack pulled the hat down onto his head, and slipped the coat on.

"The Black Pearl!"  
Miranda approached him and kissed him on the cheek.

"No.  New captain of the Great Corsair."

Jack was dumbstruck.  He gazed around at the people on the deck.

"The Corsair?" He began, "Me? No, no, Miranda, you can't just surrender your post like that."

"But that's what I wish…"  
"…Alright then!" Jack quipped before Miranda finished her sentence.

Instead she turned around to the men standing there and cleared her throat.

"Men!.... Women… Today I am officially passing my command onto Mr. Sparrow.  I am no longer your captain…. Nor your Governor."

The people gasped and Jack seized his chest in shock.  Miranda turned and looked at him again.  She took one single ring off her finger, closed her eyes and held it out to him in her hands.

"You don' mean…"

"Jack Sparrow.  Our newly appointed Governor of Tortuga!"

The men said nothing, for they were too were in a state of shock.  Reeves eyed her.

"You can't do that! As our Governor…"

"My last order was to make Jack our commander.  He well deserves it."  
Jack took the ring and put it on.  He smiled and strolled leisurely up the stairs to the wheel.  He took a long look around at the ship once more, just as he did when he first boarded.  He rubbed his hands together and glanced to Miranda, who looked happier than she had before.

"What was it that you wanted to tell our captain, Mr. Reeves?"

Reeves was in such shock that he had to snap out of it before replying.  Miranda pointed to Jack, to direct his question to him instead.  Reeves looked up at him.

"Capt'n, it seems there be another ship afloat just around the brink of the island there!"

The people ran to look.  He was right, there was another large ship floating there.  It was about half the size of the Corsair, and about the same colour.

"THE PEARL!?" Jack snapped, leaning over the sideboard for a better look.  

He waved over the telescope and peered through it at his former ship.

Miranda appeared beside him, squinting to look over.

"What's going on?"

Jack watched as small figures onboard the Black Pearl were forcing a person off the plank.  The splash was a giveaway.

"They're marooning someone too… Lucky bastards."

Suddenly the people aboard the ship began waving and shouting to them.  Jack lowered the telescope and pointed.

"Mr. Gibbs?"

"It's them?" Miranda asked.

"My crew." Jack replied, smiling.

He peered through the telescope and continued to watch.  The person that had been marooned swam to shore and flopped up onto the beach not too far from where Diego was walking.

"Damn him!" Diego yelled, pacing up and down the shoreline, "Damn! YOU'RE NOT A PIRATE!  NOT COMPARED TO ME!"

While he was pacing, something, a noise stopped him in his tracks.  He could hear more screaming, and it wasn't coming from the Corsair where he was facing.  

He ran around the beach, looking for the source, and skidded to a stop when he saw.

A young woman, about his age, was standing in the shallows, screaming out to a ship about a mile away from them.  She had long blondish brown hair, and her face was beautifully smooth and clean.

She was also wearing a white shawl, but seeing as she was drenched; it caused it to be transparent.  Diego blushed when he spotted her.  When she stopped screaming and turned to run, she noticed Diego standing there staring goggle eyed at her.

"GREAT, JUST GREAT! NOW YOU'VE LEFT ME HERE WITH A GRUBBY OLD MAN! THANK YOU, YOU LANDLOVERS!"

Diego coughed and pointed at her figure.  She put her hands on her hips angrily.

"What?! What is it?!"

She finally looked down, screaming to cover herself up.  He face went red, and Diego came over to her.  He put his arm around her shoulders and led her into the shade.

"Let's go and find somethin' to cover you up while you dry, won't we?" He told her, sounding rather different.

The girl blushed and nodded.

"I'm Qahira."

"Diego Longjohn."  
Qahira's eyes widened and looked him up and down to make sure.  She smiled and reached up to wipe the hair out of her eyes, as Diego led her into the forest and out of sight.

Aboard the Corsair, Jack laughed and lowered his telescope again.

"What's wrong, Jack?"  
He shook his head.

"Perhaps Qahira will conquer that son of a bitch."

"Qahira?" Miranda asked.

"An assassin.  One of the finest in Tortuga.  But the woman is a shrew."

Miranda laughed, and took a hold of him arm.  He looked at her and smiled.  The Black Pearl was sailing towards them.

The crew aboard the ship ran to the bow and watched as it came closer.  Jack waved to them and they waved back.  As the Pearl came up beside the Corsair, its crew ran to the edge and cheered and whistled.  

"Capt'n, we'd be much obliged to have you back!" Gibbs yelled across at them.

Miranda glanced at Jack.  He put his arm around her shoulder and shook his head.

"Not this time.  I be the capt'n of the Corsair now!"

Gibbs looked disappointed.  He eventually smiled and turned to him own crew.

"Who shall be our capt'n then?"

"You! Mr. Gibbs! You know your place!" Jack cried and Gibbs laughed.

"Right, capt'n! But will we ever see you again?"

Jack and Miranda looked at each other.  They smiled and turned back.

"Oh, I'm thinkin' that you'll see us around again.  You will after all be the first of our fleet!"

Gibbs saluted Jack and Miranda and clapped his hands together.  He barked orders at the Pearl's crew and waved to them.

The Pearl sailed off, and Jack sighed.

"That's the third time I've seen a man sail off with my ship.  But this time I have good reason to."

He gazed around at the deck, and raised his hand in the air.

"Get to your posts men! Turn us around! We're going back to Tortuga!"

The crew did as they were told and scrambled all over the deck to be where they were supposed to be.

Jack let Miranda go and took his place at the wheel once more.  She joined him, and shoved her way to the wheel, so he had to reach around her to steer.  Instead he put one hand on her waist.  Miranda took a deep breath.

"Bad luck to have a woman on board! Pah!" Jack snapped, and spun the wheel violently, "It's more a case of what woman it is!"

Miranda stopped it and continued his position on steering.  She closed her eyes and rocked back and forth.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!  We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot!" They both began to chant out loud and in unison, "Drink up me 'earties yo ho! We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot! Drink up me 'earties yo ho! Yo ho yo ho a pirate's life for me! We extort, we pilfer, we filch and sack! Drink up me 'earties yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!"


End file.
